Topics On Tap

FAITH, FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP ﻿Catholic young adults converse after a recent meeting of the Young Adult Ministry of Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish, Wayne, which featured talks by people engaged in social justice outreaches. Participants enjoying snacks and conversation are (clockwise from left): Michael Pressler, a junior at William Paterson University, Wayne, and a presenter; OLC ministry members Andrew Noblett and Amanda Sweetman; and Amanda Stadler, Maeghan Fengya and Maria Holganza, all of whom visited from the new Young Adult Ministry at Annunciation Parish, also in Wayne.

﻿﻿Young adults at Wayne parish explore options for engaging in social justice

By
MICHAEL WOJCIK, News Editor

WAYNE ﻿﻿Do you want to help build a better world for the poor — one founded on Catholic social teaching? Last week, members of the Young Adult Ministry of Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish here learned several life-affirming ways to bring the Gospel to the least among us, including swinging a hammer to build a house for Habitat for Humanity. That suggestion felt familiar to some of the young people, including Amanda Sweetman.

The night of Jan. 12 found Sweetman and her fellow Young Adult Ministry members, sitting on a cluster of comfortable couches and chairs in the Fellowship Room of the newly refurbished OLC Ministry Center to listen to talks given by several Catholics, who are engaged in social justice programs. They spoke about serving a range of outreaches — from serving meals to the homeless at Eva’s Village in Paterson to helping to build homes, schools and clinics for the poor in Ecuador — as part of the 10-year-old ministry’s Topics on Tap series. The speakers gave thought-provoking ideas to the young adults, many of whom have been involved in social justice, either with the ministry or the parish.

“Building houses for Habitat for Humanity is fun. We dug ditches. We built walls, raised them up and then insulated and painted them,” said Richard Greco, who founded OLC’s Social Justice Ministry and got it involved in Habitat for Humanity of Paterson, which included volunteer “sweat equity” by 24-year-old Sweetman. “It’s rewarding. I wanted to do something for somebody in hopes that he or she will pay it forward. That’s how we can practice our faith — taking what we hear in the Gospels at Mass and putting it into action,” he said.

In the middle of Greco’s easy, almost conversational talk, Sweetman interjected, calling her work with Habitat a “great experience, actually working — nailing floors and painting rooms.”

“I felt like I was doing something,” Sweetman said. “I loved the work and the people who received the houses needed them. They were so appreciative,” she said.

Greco sat in a chair in middle of the young adults and also told them about the Social Justice Ministry’s monthly visit to Eva’s Village to feed the homeless, which has included Young Adult Ministry members. He and other presenters spoke about “Reaching Out: Putting Faith into Action” — the latest presentation of the five-year-old Topics on Tap. The series provides a comfortable setting for single and married adults, from 18- to 35-years-old, to come together to discuss what it means to be Catholic and to socialize with other Catholic young adults, said Mary Ann Miller, who founded the ministry with husband, Jeffrey.

After Greco’s talk, Thomas and MaryAnne Deregibus spoke about their involvement with OLC’s outreach to San Pablo, an impoverished village in Ecuador. For years, the ministry has built — and stocked — a high school, day-care centers, a health clinic and houses for families. The outreach, incorporated as the non-profit Ecuador Quilt, partners with a local priest to determine the people’s needs, they said.

“People are shocked by the living conditions, when people first visit. But the villagers are happy people. They have the important things: family, faith and community,” Thomas Deregibus said. “OLC is getting involved in making people’s lives better. It’s a nice feeling that we did something for someone, who can’t do anything for us. This is an ongoing commitment that we hope the parish will continue for a long time,” he said.

This year, the Young Adult Ministry plans to get involved in Ecuador Quilt’s annual six-week Lenten Soup Night. The group will gather one evening to prepare the soup. Parishioners then pick up containers of the sacrificial meatless soups — at the parish each week for a $10-15 donation and enjoy them with family or friends. Proceeds benefit the outreach, Mary Ann Miller said.

Michael Pressler, a junior at William Paterson University, Wayne, spoke about organizing yearly bowling/tricky tray events to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, which treats children with cancer — inspired by his grandmother, who died of cancer. So far, he has raised $33,000 in contributions — more and more each year — by asking more merchants to donate prizes and more people to attend the event, he said.

“I’m doing something to help people and people want to help me help other people,” said Pressler, who enjoys connecting one-on-one with the business owners he solicits.

The audience that night included Maeghan Fengya of the new Young Adult Ministry at Annunciation Parish, also in Wayne, who seemed impressed by the faith-filled actions of the presenters. OLC’s adults will be working with Annunciation’s young adults as they establish their ministry, Mary Ann Miller said.

“You have been working to bring God into people’s lives — bringing the Gospel to Wayne, Paterson or Ecuador,” said Fengya, who has traveled to other areas of the U.S. to help the poor as part of the national outreach Catholic Heart Work Camp.

Held twice yearly, Topics on Tap included talks by Xaverian Father Carl Chudy, provincial superior of the Xaverian Missionaries at the Provincial House in Wayne, on “Christians, Muslims and Jews: Finding Common Ground,” and Father Louis Scurti, a retired priest, about keeping and maintaining the commitment of the millennial generation to parish life. Father Michael Lombardo, OLC’s pastor, also hosted a question-and-answer session with the young adults, Mary Ann Miller said.

Topics on Tap rounds out a full schedule of events for the Young Adult Ministry, which the Millers founded 10 years ago. Its activities center on promoting social, spiritual and service opportunities and include trivia nights at local restaurants, movie nights at local theaters and potluck dinners. Over the past few months, the ministry has taken up residence in the Fellowship Room of OLC’s Ministry Center, which formerly housed the parish school. Helping to lead the ministry are young adults, Marie Reddy and Patrick Trentecost, Mary Ann Miller said.

“There are many people out there who are lost. We want to bring young people home [to the Church] and help them build a relationship with Jesus. The Lord has a master plan to help us grow in faith and reach out in action,” Mary Ann Miller said.

After the meeting, 26-year-old Andrew Noblett, who works as a mail clerk, but aspires to become a graphic designer, told The Beacon that the talks inspired him to be more involved in social justice and “gave me something to shoot for.”

Also impressed with the night’s speakers, Sweetman, a neonatal nurse at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Paterson, said she loves “having a good time” in the Young Adult Ministry with “so many wonderful people.”

“We share stories [about life] and bounce ideas off each other. We help each other stay grounded and faith based,” Sweetman said.